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Fritz Weaver
| birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Manhattan, New York, U.S. | yearsactive = 1956–2016 | spouse = ; 2 children | occupation = Actor, voice artist | awards = Tony Award (1970) | alma_mater = Peabody High School }} Fritz William Weaver (January 19, 1926 − November 26, 2016) was an American actor in television, stage, and motion pictures, perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Josef Weiss in the 1978 epic television drama, Holocaust. In cinema, he is best recognized from his debut film Fail Safe (1964), as well as Marathon Man (1976), Creepshow (1982) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999). Among many television roles, he performed in two seminal projects: the movie The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975) and the mini-series Holocaust (1978), for which Weaver was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. He was further known for his work in science fiction and fantasy, especially in television series and movies like The Twilight Zone, 'Way Out, Night Gallery, The X-Files, The Martian Chronicles and Demon Seed, and also narrated educational TV programs. Early life Weaver was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1926, the son of Elsa W. (née Stringaro) Weaver and John Carson Weaver. His mother was of Italian descent and his father was a social worker from Pittsburgh with deep American roots. His younger sister was art director Mary Dodson. Weaver attended the Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School at the University of Pittsburgh as a child, followed by Peabody High School. He served in Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector during World War II. Career Following the war, Weaver worked at various jobs before turning to acting in the early 1950s. His first acting role for television came in 1956 for an episode of The United States Steel Hour. Weaver continued to act in television during the next four decades. He also appeared in the made-for-TV movies The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975) and Holocaust (1978), earning an Emmy nomination for the latter; the award went to his co-star Michael Moriarty. Weaver won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance for the Broadway play Child's Play (1970). His other Broadway credits included The Chalk Garden (Tony nomination and Theatre World Award win), All American, Baker Street, Absurd Person Singular, Love Letters, and The Crucible. He appeared in the off-Broadway play Burnt Piano for the HB Playwrights Theatre, and with Uta Hagen in a television adaptation of Norman Corwin's play The World of Carl Sandburg. Weaver also acted in motion pictures, generally as a supporting player. He appeared in such movies as Fail-Safe (1964; as a jingoist and increasingly unstable U.S. Air Force colonel, ashamed of his foreign-born and alcoholic parents, whom he refers to as "those people"), Marathon Man (1976; as a professor advising the protagonist, a graduate student), Black Sunday (1977; as the lead FBI agent in an anti-terrorism effort) and Creepshow (1982); as a scientist who discovers a monster in a crate, and John McTiernan's remake of The Thomas Crown Affair (1999). He also had roles in The Day of the Dolphin (1973), Demon Seed (1977), The Big Fix (1978), and Sidney Lumet's Power (1986). Beginning in 1995, Weaver worked primarily as a voice actor, providing narration for programs on the History Channel. After making his third guest appearance on Law & Order in 2005,Law & Order-Season 15-Episode 20-Tombstone Weaver made a "secret decision to retire".On the Fritz In 2010, Weaver was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. Shortly thereafter, he came out of retirement to make an uncredited cameo in This Must Be the Place (2011), voicing the deceased father of Sean Penn's protagonist. He went on to give prominent supporting performances in the Emmy-nominated television film Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013) and the theatrically-released We'll Never Have Paris (2014), The Cobbler (2014) and The Congressman (2016). Personal life and death Weaver's second marriage was to actress Rochelle Oliver in 1997. His first marriage ended in divorce. He died at his home in Manhattan on November 26, 2016. Select filmography Film *''To Trap a Spy'' (1964) – Andrew Vulcan (archive footage) *''Fail Safe'' (1964) – Colonel Cascio *''The Borgia Stick'' (1967) – Anderson *''The Maltese Bippy'' (1969) – Mischa Ravenswood *''A Walk in the Spring Rain'' (1970) – Roger Meredith *''The Day of the Dolphin'' (1973) – Harold DeMilo *''The Legend of Lizzie Borden'' (1975) – Andrew Borden *''Marathon Man'' (1976) – Professor Biesenthal *''Black Sunday'' (1977) – Corley *''Demon Seed'' (1977) – Alex Harris *''Captains Courageous'' (1977) – Harvey Cheyne Sr. *''The Big Fix'' (1978) – Oscar Procari Sr. *''Martian Chronicles'' (1980) – Father Peregrine *''Nightkill'' (1980) – Herbert Childs *''Jaws of Satan'' (1981) – Father Tom Farrow *''Creepshow'' (1982) – Dexter Stanley (segment "The Crate") *''Power'' (1986) – Wallace Furman *''The Thomas Crown Affair'' (1999) – John Reynolds *''This Must Be the Place'' (2011) – Cheyenne's Father (voice) *''Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight'' (2013) – Hugo Black *''We'll Never Have Paris'' (2014) – Phillipe *''The Cobbler'' (2014) – Mr. Solomon *''The Congressman'' (2016) – Harlan Lantier (final film role) Television *''Beyond This Place'' (1957) – Charlie Castle *''Way Out'' (1961, Episode: "William and Mary") – Dr. Landy *''The Twilight Zone'' (original series) (1961, Episodes: "Third from the Sun" / "The Obsolete Man") – William Sturka / Chancellor *''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1961) – Victor Vanda *''Dr. Kildare'' (1963) – Arthur Hobler *''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1964) – Andrew Vulcan *''Twelve O'Clock High'' (1964) – Col. Peter Raff *''Rawhide'' (1964) – Jonathan Damon *''The Fugitive'' (1966) – Joe Tucker *''Combat!'' (1966) – Major Chaplain Ernest Miller *''Gunsmoke'' (1967) – Marshal Burl Masters *''The Invaders'' (1967, Episode 30 "The Captive") – Deputy Ambassador Peter Borke *''The Big Valley'' (1967–1969) – Hebron Grant / Burke Jordan *''Cannon'' (1971) – "The Nowhere Man" *''Night Gallery'' (1971) – Dr. Mazi (segment "A Question of Fear") *''Mission: Impossible'' (1966–1971) – George Berlinger / Emil Skarbeck / Erik Hagar / Imre Rogosh *''Mannix'' (1968–1973) – William Avery / Dr. Cameron McKenzie *''Kung Fu'' (1974) – Hillquist *''The New Land'' (1974, Episode: "The Word is: Giving" – unaired) *''The Streets Of San Francisco'' (1975) – Ted Whitlock *''Wonder Woman'' (1977) – Dr. Solano *''Holocaust'' (1978) – Dr. Josef Weiss *''Hawaii Five-O'' (1979) – Dr. Harvey Danworth *''The Martian Chronicles'' (1980) – Father Peregrine *''Magnum, P.I.'' (1980) – Captain J. Cooly, USN *''Don't Eat the Pictures'' (1983) – Osiris *''Tales from the Darkside'' (Episodes: "Comet Watch" (1986), "Inside the Closet" (1984)) – Sir Edmund Halley / Dr. Fenner *''Murder, She Wrote'' (1984–1986) – Paris Inspector Hugues Panassié / Edwin Dupont / Judge Lambert *''The Twilight Zone'' (1985 revival) (1985, Episode 13; segment "The Star") – Father Matthew Karsighan *''Dream West'' (1986) – Sen. Thomas Hart Benton *''I'll Take Manhattan'' (1987) – Mr. Amberville *''Friday the 13th: The Series'' (1989, in the two-part episode of the third-season opener named "The Prophecies") – Asteroth *''Matlock'' (1989) – Pastor James Hubert *''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1994, in the episode "Tribunal") – Kovat *''The X-Files'' (1996) – Senator Albert Sorenson *''Frasier'' (1998) – Sir Trevor Ainsley *''Law & Order'' (1991–2005) – Nathan Fogg / Larry Weber / Philip Woodleigh References External links * * * * Fritz Weaver (Aveleyman) * Category:1926 births Category:2016 deaths Category:American stage actors Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American Theater Hall of Fame inductees Category:Tony Award winners Category:20th-century American actors Category:21st-century American actors Category:Actors from Pittsburgh Category:American conscientious objectors Category:Members of the Civilian Public Service Category:American people of Italian descent Category:Actors of Italian descent